Julia Child and France

Julia Child and France

Muhammed Muheisen / Associated Press

When Julia Child first came to France in 1948, she couldn't cook an omelet. She was a tall, gawky Pasadena girl married to a cultural liaison officer posted at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. She had heard the French were touchy. She couldn't speak their language and had no expectations for her stay. Then came her first taste of proper French food: briny portugaises oysters with rye bread, followed by Dover sole in butter sauce and a simple green salad. Julia felt guilty about drinking wine at lunch -- a crisp, white, Loire Valley Pouilly Fume. They had fromage blanc for dessert and espresso. "It was the most exciting meal of my life," she wrote in "My Life in France." -- Susan Spano Read more: Touring culinary Paris with Julia Child as your guide Upper photo: The Eiffel Tower Lower photo: Julia Child circa 1978. Credit: James Scherer / Business Wire

When Julia Child first came to France in 1948, she couldn't cook an omelet. She was a tall, gawky Pasadena girl married to a cultural liaison officer posted at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. She had heard the French were touchy. She couldn't speak their language and had no expectations for her stay. Then came her first taste of proper French food: briny portugaises oysters with rye bread, followed by Dover sole in butter sauce and a simple green salad. Julia felt guilty about drinking wine at lunch -- a crisp, white, Loire Valley Pouilly Fume. They had fromage blanc for dessert and espresso. "It was the most exciting meal of my life," she wrote in "My Life in France." -- Susan Spano Read more: Touring culinary Paris with Julia Child as your guide Upper photo: The Eiffel Tower Lower photo: Julia Child circa 1978. Credit: James Scherer / Business Wire (Muhammed Muheisen / Associated Press)

When Julia Child first came to France in 1948, she couldn't cook an omelet. She was a tall, gawky Pasadena girl married to a cultural liaison officer posted at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. She had heard the French were touchy. She couldn't speak their language and had no expectations for her stay. Then came her first taste of proper French food: briny portugaises oysters with rye bread, followed by Dover sole in butter sauce and a simple green salad. Julia felt guilty about drinking wine at lunch -- a crisp, white, Loire Valley Pouilly Fume. They had fromage blanc for dessert and espresso. "It was the most exciting meal of my life," she wrote in "My Life in France." -- Susan Spano Read more: Touring culinary Paris with Julia Child as your guide Upper photo: The Eiffel Tower Lower photo: Julia Child circa 1978. Credit: James Scherer / Business Wire